dagblog - Comments for "Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & Leukemia - A Call to African-Americans, minorities to join Bone Marrow Registry"

Hi Bill, Here's an update

Tamu — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:31:06 +0000

In reply to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & Leukemia - A Call to African-Americans, minorities to join Bone Marrow Registry

Hi Bill,

Here's an update since the original message was written:

There are now 13 million registrants in the world. Yay! Yes, it's still a shortage.

There now over 550 000 African-Americans on the US registry. Yay! Yes, it's still a shortage.

Another way to register for free is to go to register online for FREE with Be The Match (the rebranded name of The Marrow Foundation) at http://www.bethematch.org. Since the summer, the fee is waived as long as funding from sponsors remains available. So if you have an Internet connection, money is not an issue, and a kit will be sent to the person's home and they can just drop the kit in the mail using the SASE provided when they are done.

Thanks for the details. I'll

Michael Wolraich — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:03:57 +0000

In reply to You can still join the

Thanks for the details. I'll look into it.

You can still join the

Jennifer St. Peter — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:26:53 +0000

In reply to I can't donate blood b/c I

You can still join the Registry even if you've lived overseas.

Only 20% of donations are know done through the surgical procedure. Most donations are Peripheral Blood Stem Cell (PBSC) donations. With this type of donation, the donor is given a series of injections over 5 days of a drug that stimulates the bone marrow to create extra blood forming cells in the blood stream. Then on the 5th day the donor is placed on an apheresis machine which removes the blood from one arm, through an intraveneous needle, seperates out those extra cells then returns the remaining blood components to the other through another intraveneous needle. The process usually takes about 4-5 hours. The most common side effects are fatigue and muscle and bone aches.

Please check any of the sources listed above for more information as all are great sources for information. I'm a Recruiter with the Be The Match Registry, working out of the Rhode Island Blood Center. Please feel free to email me any questions as well at jstpeter@ribc.org.

I can't donate blood b/c I

Michael Wolraich — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:31:25 +0000

In reply to 0%? What if I accidently

I can't donate blood b/c I lived in the UK during the mad cow days. Anyone know if this restriction applies to marrow?

0%? What if I accidently

Nebton — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:50:48 +0000

In reply to Getting on the registry has a

0%? What if I accidently swallow the swab? ;)

Side note: I can no longer donate blood because twice I've tested (false) positive for liver related diseases. Not only did I have my doctor rule out those diseases, I recently had him do a liver battery on me after a third false positive for a liver related disease (but that false positve was during a regular check up and not while I was donating blood). His best guess is that some of my extreme exercising is responsible for the false positives. Cheek swabs would probably not register that, however.

Getting on the registry has a

William K. Wolfrum — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:37:52 +0000

In reply to One percent doesn't seem that

Getting on the registry has a 0% risk. It's a swab of the inner cheek that you do yourself. Or you can also get on the registry when you don'te blood.

One percent doesn't seem that

Nebton — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:30:16 +0000

In reply to Yeah, it's really about the

One percent doesn't seem that small of a percentage to me for "serious complication". That said, I assume these are only for actual donors (in which case you're making a significant contribution to someone else's life) and not just whatever preliminary steps are required to put you on the registry. Thanks for the information.

Yeah, it's really about the

William K. Wolfrum — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:27:01 +0000

In reply to thanks for this william. my

Yeah, it's really about the same as any minor procedure. Plus, if you join the Registry, there's maybe a 1% chance you'll get the call that you're a match. I've been on it for 20 years and got one preliminary call about a match, but they called back and said it wasn't close enough. It's a real numbers game, and race & genetics matter.

From: http://www.marrow.org/DONOR/When_You_re_Asked_to_Donate_fo/Donation_FAQs...

The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) wants to assure donor safety, but no medical procedure is risk-free. The majority (more than 98.5%) of donors feel completely recovered within a few weeks. A small percentage (1.34%) of donors experience a serious complication due to anesthesia or damage to bone, nerve or muscle in their hip region.

The risk of side effects of anesthesia during marrow donation is similar to that during other surgical procedures. Serious side effects of anesthesia are rare. Common side effects of general anesthesia include sore throat (caused by the breathing tube) or mild nausea and vomiting. Common side effects of regional anesthesia are a decrease in blood pressure and a headache after the procedure.

The NMDP and its centers take all the necessary precautions to ensure the safety and well-being of the donor. To learn more, see Safeguarding Donors and Patients.

thanks for this william. my

Deadman — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:16:09 +0000

In reply to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & Leukemia - A Call to African-Americans, minorities to join Bone Marrow Registry

thanks for this william. my grandfather died from leukemia and i didnt know it was such a threat in the african-american community. I also thought donating bone marrow was a horrific process, but I guess i should research it further.